View full sizeA portion of a print ad that ran in Illinois, hoping to sway companies to move to New Jersey amid Illinois' rising income tax rates. The attempt, and subsequent visit by Gov. Christie, was a topic for discussion today at the Republican Governors Association meeting.

Noah Addis/For The Star-LedgerGov. Chris Christie speaks during a town hall meeting in West Deptford on Thursday.

WASHINGTON — Gov. Chris Christie joined several governors this morning at the opening meeting of the National Governors Association's winter meeting in Washington.

While Christie did not attend the opening press conference, his role as one of the most vocal and outspoken governors in the nation wasn't missed.

Washington Democrat Gov. Chris Gregoire, who is the NGA chairwoman, was asked for her opinion on governors traveling to other states in attempt to lure companies away. Christie traveled to Illinois earlier this month to try to draw companies away after their income tax was increased.

"I'm not going to criticize any of my governors," Gregoire said. "How they make the decisions they make I respect."

But she offered some criticism, saying states should be looking to compete globally and summarizing the comments she was expecting later from Harvard Business Professor Michael Porter.

"Dr. Porter will talk about what states really have to do is look inside themselves," Gregoire said. "Going over and stealing from some place else isn't really the future for them. The real competition for all of us is global, and we have to be prepared to compete globally."

"I believe in competition among the states and between the countries," Heineman said. "We're willing to compete."

State competitiveness was a common thread at the opening of the ceremony, where Porter addressed the governors about how to improve competition in their states.

Porter used New Jersey as an example to explain the multitude of layers involved with assessing a state's economy. New Jersey is one of the most prosperous states, he said, with historic support for industry and properly balanced clusters of similar industries.

"Gov. Christie's fundamental challenge is not the level of prosperity, it's how to get engine going again," Porter said.